To help nonprofit leaders better persuade others to support their missions, I've been studying what motivates human behavior, more specifically what motivates us to switch direction, away from our well-worn path toward something new.
How to Mobilize Communities: Top Lessons from the Women's March If you followed the meteoric response to the Women's March on Washington, you can't help but admire this tremendous feat of community organizing, resulting in the largest march in US history. Nonprofits, activists, and leaders of volunteers can learn a lot about how to mobilize [...]
volunteers seem like a great match and they show a lot of enthusiasm about joining. But, even though you’ve got them to “yes!”, getting them to show up for training or their volunteer shift, it’s like pulling teeth. Can anything be done, or are folks just not able to commit any more?
In every recruitment appeal, volunteers must quickly and easily get the answers to their burning questions, no matter how brief the posting. Don’t make them work hard to get this information, or you’ll risk losing them before you’re even started.
Volunteer Recruitment Websites: How to Get More Traction Now! If you're like most organizations, your most effective volunteer recruitment method is word-of-mouth referrals, not volunteer recruitment websites. However, that may only tell you half the story. Recommendations from friends, family and volunteer fans may be how people learn about you, but how do they actually [...]
Common volunteer management approaches reflect traditional views of human nature as egocentric, motivated by self-interest and the will to survive. New research, however, shows the opposite may be true.
In volunteer programs, we often attempt to institutionalize socialization by creating a single orientation event that’s meant to, among other things, shorten the time it takes to get volunteers acclimated. But, does this really work?
On this day of remembrance, I’m reflecting on how well (or poorly) we dare to dream and have the courage to share our deepest aspirations. Are our volunteer recruitment efforts failing to inspire?
It stands to reason that volunteers look to the web for information about new opportunities. But do our existing volunteer recruitment pages actually inspire visitors to join us?
Much of the job of initiating volunteers is helping newcomers negotiate conflicting emotions – surprise, fear, ambiguity, etc. – as they work to settle into their volunteer jobs comfortably. Unfortunately, too few organizations take a strategic and thoughtful approach to onboarding. As a result, they become a revolving door for dissappointed volunteers seeking a better fit elsewhere and are left wondering why.
